1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shower bathing device capable of making users enjoy bathing hot water showered and also capable of mixing solution for medical or other purposes with hot water showered and freely adjusting the amount of the medical solution mixed.
2. Description of the Related Art
The conventional shower bathing device was intended only to shower hot water. Recently, however, shower bathing device having a section in which a medicine is filled and another section located on the passage of hot water to mix the medicine with hot water passing through the passage has been proposed (Japanese Utility Model Disclosures Sho 61-155054, -40153, -40154, Sho 62-144562, -194450, Japanese Patent Disclosure Hei 1-223915, Japanese Patent Publication Sho 44-5583 and others). This shower bathing device is intended to fill the medical section with a desired medicine and shower through the head of the shower bathing device (or shower head) hot water while mixing hot water with the medicine. The medicine used may be of the solid type and of the solution type.
In the case where the medicine of the solid type is used on the passage of hot water, however, it often happens that the solid medicine is instantly dissolved or not dissolved by hot water passing through the passage. This makes it difficult to adjust the amount of the solid medicine dissolved into hot water. In addition, the solid medicine can be easily dissolved when the temperature of hot water passing through the passage is high but not when it is low. Therefore, users cannot enjoy bathing hot water which is showered through the shower bathing device and in which the medicine is contained at such an amount as desired.
This problem can be avoided when the medicine used is of the solution type. However, the medicine cannot be mixed with hot water only by providing both of the medicine-filled section and the water-medicine mixing section on the passage of hot water. The pressure of hot water passing through the passage is applied to the medicine-filled section to thereby make it impossible to mix the medicine with hot water. It is impossible to mix the medicine with hot water unless the water-medicine mixing section is under pressure-reduced state.
Japanese Utility Model Disclosure Sho 62-194450 discloses a structure wherein medicine is mixed with hot water by a stream pump system. However, it discloses neither system nor means for adjusting the amount of the bath medicine mixed. In short, it discloses only a valve located between a bath medicine tank and the passage of hot water in this case, but this valve cannot change the pressure-reduced state in the water-medicine mixing section, thereby making it impossible to finely adjust the amount of the medicine mixed with hot water.
Japanese Patent Disclosure Hei 1-223915 discloses another structure wherein the flow rate of bath medicine is controlled by an adjusting cock means. This cock means, however, is attached to the same position as the valve is in the above case. Therefore, the flow rate of bath medicine cannot be finely adjusted by the adjusting cock means.
Japanese Patent Publication Sho 44-5583 discloses further structure wherein an opening is formed at the section of the stream pump. However, this opening is intended not to adjust the flow rate of bath medicine but to mix air with hot water passing through the passage. Therefore, the opening has no means for adjusting the extent to which the opening is opened.
The above-described circumstances have forced me, inventor of the present invention, to imagine that an adjustable switch (or changeover valve) is located on the passage of bath medicine to adjust the amount of bath medicine mixed with hot water. However, the pressure-reduced state in the water-medicine mixing section cannot be changed by this switch. Further, the amount of bath medicine mixed cannot be finely adjusted by the switch.